Mickey Mantle, the great New York Yankee, died in August,
1995. During his 18 year career (1951-1968), he was
beloved by fans and teammates. As Mantle lay dying in
a Dallas hospital, the 1995 Yankees team signed a baseball
for him. He kept it by his bed and, according to the
Mantle family, the ball meant a lot to him. This is
that ball.

In the 1940s and 1950s, you got the “inside”
info on your favorite players by reading the "Dope"
book. Mantle was on the cover of the 1957 issue. He had
just won the 1956 MVP award and the Triple Crown. Mickey
signed this copy for me in San Francisco in 1994. He was
taken by the piece.